Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Mexico Arrests 'Top Leader of Zetas Drug Gang'

Mexican police have arrested a leader of the feared Zetas drug gang, Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar. Mr Rejon is alleged to be the third in command of the Zetas, a drug gang formed by former Mexican special forces soldiers.

He is suspected of involvement in various crimes and is being linked to the murder of US immigration agent Jaime Zapata, officials said. But officials gave no specific details of that alleged link.

Mexico's public security ministry said Mr Rejon, known as El Mamito, had been arrested in Atizapan de Zaragoza, in Mexico State, on Sunday "without a shot being fired".

A police officer with him was also detained, and officers recovered weapons, money, various documents and communication equipment.

A ministry statement said Mr Rejon was a founding member of the Zetas and one of the most wanted criminals in the country, sought by both the Mexican and US governments.

The United States has offered a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to his arrest and possible conviction.

But the BBC's Mexico City correspondent, Julian Miglierini, notes that Mr Rejon did not figure in a list of the top 37 criminals which the Mexican authorities issued two years ago.

The authorities in Texas have warned United States citizens not to travel to a Mexican border city over the 4 July holiday weekend because of the threat posed by a major drugs cartel. The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement that it had "credible intelligence" that the Zetas cartel was specifically planning to target US citizens in Nuevo Laredo.

The threats, it said, ranged from robberies to extortion and car-theft. "Multiple sources" had tipped it off. "We urge US citizens to avoid travel to Nuevo Laredo this weekend if it can be avoided," said the department's director, Steven McCraw. The department also said the sheriff's office from Webb County, on the other side of the border from Nuevo Laredo, had received similar intelligence.